The White Room

Aria slowly opened her eyes, her vision still blurry as she blinked, trying to focus. Everything around her was white and sterile, she was in a strangely lit room with stone walls and advanced medical equipment surrounding her.

She felt tired and sore, and the memory of her battle with Yuka hit her like a ton of bricks.

But something was different now. She wasn't in the fighting arena anymore; she was in a hospital bed. And she wasn't alone; Hilda was sitting in a chair next to her bed, reading a book.

"Hilda?" Aria said weakly, her voice hoarse and faint.

Hilda looked at her, and her face lit up with a smile.

"Aria! You're awake. How are you feeling, little one?"

"Sore," Aria replied, trying to move a bit in the bed as she arched an eyebrow at the nickname. "How did I get here? What happened to Yuka?"

Hilda sighed and closed the book.

"Well, after your fight with Yuka, you were brought here to Nightfall's hospital. The medical team had to intervene to stabilize you, but you're out of danger now."

Aria nodded slowly, processing the information.

"And Yuka?" Aria asked curiously.

"Her condition was worse than yours, so she was taken to another facility. But don't worry, she's out of danger."

Aria nodded again, feeling relieved that Yuka wasn't around but also that she wasn't in danger. She curled up in the bed, feeling a wave of exhaustion enveloping her.

"You can sleep a bit more if you need to," Hilda said with a reassuring smile. "You did great out there."

Hilda gently ran her hand over Aria's head, trying to comfort her.

Aria closed her eyes and let herself be carried away by sleep, feeling the accumulated tiredness weakening her.

***

A few hours later, Aria woke up feeling a bit more rested. The room was still bathed in a soft, sterile light. Her green eyes focused on a figure near her.

The person was dressed like a nurse, but the colors of her attire stood out in the white and sterile environment. Her uniform was a mix of deep blacks and fascinating violet hues, making her stand out among the typical medical staff.

"Hello, I see you're awake, Aria. I'm Vespera, the healer of Nightfall," the young woman spoke with a peaceful smile, her gaze resting on Aria's body.

With an elegant gesture, Vespera extended her hands over Aria's wounds. A gentle violet glow emanated from her palms as she channeled the energy of her Astraforge into Aria's injuries. Aria could feel a warm and comforting sensation spreading through her body, relieving the pain and discomfort.

It was the first time she had seen such a thing, and the surprise was evident on Aria's face.

"Hehe, I see you're curious," Vespera said with a gentle smile.

She explained to Aria that it was a different way of using the Astraforge. By injecting her energy into another person, she could accelerate the regeneration of their body.

Aria realized that the Astraforge was much more complex than she had expected, though her mind hadn't fully grasped the concept yet.

"Awake again? How do you feel now?" Hilda's voice would be heard again as she entered the sealed room.

Vespera would step back after finishing her work, leaving the two women alone.

"I'm feeling much better now, the pain has completely disappeared," Aria said as she got up from the bed, "That was amazing."

Hilda smiled amiably.

"You still have a lot to learn, but unfortunately, time is something we don't have in abundance," Hilda said before taking a seat.

Hilda began to talk about what happened while Aria was sleeping. It seemed that Nexus had granted new assignments while she rested, and some Realmwalkers were getting ready to depart.

According to Hilda's words, the assignments given by Nexus offer valuable rewards for those who decide to participate and complete them. They are a way to gather resources and earn points. Points have many uses, but they are one of the most important factors to receive better assignments and eventually fulfill Nexus' desire.

"Do you remember the messages that appear? Some speculate that it's some kind of neural link, perhaps with a supercomputer or something similar," Hilda explained calmly, "The point is, you can use this technology in more than one way. When you think of the word 'Assignments,' a message should appear with the tasks you can perform, their difficulty, and their rewards," Hilda explained.

Aria was amazed by all the information Hilda was sharing, as she rested her hand on her chin and lowered her head, assimilating the acquired knowledge, surprised by the complexity presented by Nexus.

Nightfall turned out to be a vast network of connections and information; it seemed like joining that organization had been a good idea.

"The interface will adapt to your mind and display the assignments that are available to you based on your level and abilities. You can choose the one that best suits you and work to complete it."

As she thought of that word, a huge dropdown menu appeared in front of her. Each assignment had relevant information, such as its location, difficulty level, the fauna and enemies that could be encountered, and their danger level.

As Hilda said, everything was visible in a way that she could easily understand. So much information could be overwhelming, but for some reason, she was able to digest it without too much trouble.

"I guess you're already seeing it. It's not like I can see the messages you see, but I think you might be interested in the 'Space Milk' assignment; it has a 4-star difficulty," Hilda said, crossing her arms. "This assignment has an item that might interest you as a reward," she exclaimed with a wide smile.

Aria looked at it, noticing that it was a strange circular artifact. It reminded her a bit of a clock or a compass, but its function was entirely unknown.

[Path Finder: This is an item widely used by a now-extinct civilization. It allows you to find your way to any place within the 'Stellar Path.']

Did that mean she could locate Emily using that item?

But something else caught her attention; it was the second time she heard about the 'stellar path.'

"What on earth is the 'stellar path'?" Aria asked curiously.

Hilda scratched her head gently, feeling like she had made a big mistake by not explaining something like that from the beginning. What could she say; Hilda was a bit clumsy from time to time.

"Did you see the large TV in the waiting room? With a strange map with coordinates? That's what we call the 'stellar path.' It's a map of all known dimensions up to this point," Hilda explained calmly, using her hand to make gestures, trying to better explain the information. "The map is connected to our minds. By thinking of 'stellar path,' you'll be able to see it, and it updates constantly as others travel and discover new dimensions."

The fact that there was a map like that was very helpful. It means they wouldn't entirely rely on chance to find her sister; it was reassuring.

"So... do you think the Path Finder will help me find my sister, right?" With a smile, Aria got up from the bed effortlessly. "What are we waiting for? I'm ready to set out."

She was getting closer and closer to finding her. She felt that trusting Hilda had been a good decision, though she still wasn't entirely sure of her intentions.

Hilda, on the other hand, just smiled amiably as she patted Aria's back strongly, once again leaving a red mark on Aria's pale skin.

"All right! I like your enthusiasm, although I have to talk to the guild leader first. It's a 4-star difficulty dimension; this requires a larger group of Realmwalkers," Hilda commented with a lot of energy, while Aria gave her a murderous look.

She would try not to make a big deal out of it; Aria was happy to start moving again. She was getting closer to her goal, but how difficult would it be to find that Path Finder? That was something she was about to discover.